(New: Reduction compensation in the 4. paragraph, number of open glyphosate cases in the 5th paragraph, division of compensation and compensation in the 1. paragraph)
Washington/Leverkusen (dpa-AFX)-In a legal dispute over the glyphosate-containing weed destroyer Roundup, US sworn convicted the agricultural and pharmaceutical group Bayer at just under $ 2.1 billion ($ 1.9 billion). This was announced by the plaintiff’s lawyers at the weekend. The sum includes $ 65 million compensation and $ 2 billion so -called penalty replacement. The plaintiff is responsible for glyphosate for his cancer. The verdict fell in the US state of Georgia. Bayer announced an appeal against the decision.
“Today’s judgment is another example of the refusal of Bayer to take responsibility for the poisoning of people with the poisonous weed destruction Roundup,” said the plaintiff’s lawyers.
Bayern, on the other hand, said: “We do not agree to the jury’s judgment.” The decision contradicts the scientific findings and the evaluations of the regulatory authorities around the world. For example, the EU Commission had extended the admission of glyphosate by ten years at the end of 2023; A step that criticize the environmental associations.
“We are convinced that we have strong arguments in the appointment to remove this judgment or at least reduce the excessive and unconstitutional compensation,” it said. The group also pointed out that in the past, compensation could be reduced by 90 percent compared to the original jury judgments.
Bayer had brought the problems related to glyphosate-containing weed destroyers in 2018 with the over $ 60 billion takeover of the US Agriculture Group Monsanto. In the same year there was a first judgment against the DAX company. This started a wave of lawsuits in the United States, which has already cost the group many billion for comparisons with plaintiffs. Tens of thousands of cases are still open: As of as of January 31, 2025, around 181,000 registered claims in the Causa Glyphosate were enclosed around 114,000 by comparison, or for various reasons they do not meet the comparison criteria.
Bayer has been under pressure on the stock exchange since then. Since this first judgment, the papers have lost around three quarters of their value. In addition, Bayer shareholders have had to be satisfied with a mini-dividend since last year. Because: Due to high debts, the group had announced in early 2024 to only pay the prescribed minimum dividend for three years. This year, as in the last – eleven cents per share will be released.
Bayer has been pushing for such changes in the law with intensive lobbying in US states. At its core, it is about the debate whether federal law stands for warnings when selling such weed killers above the law of states. Because for the US environmental authority EPA, glyphosate is not carcinogenic. She approved the product label accordingly without a warning.
In some states, however, this regulation does not apply, so that plaintiffs who blype are responsible for their cancer, complain about the lack of warnings and refer to the right of their state.
In this cause, Bayer continues to hope for a fundamental judgment of the Supreme US Court, the Supreme Court. He should therefore clarify once and for all as to whether federal law stands for warnings when selling weed shears above the law of states. However, it is open whether and when the Supreme Court will take care of the matter.
Bayer boss Bill Anderson, who has been in office since June 2023, had stated at the balance sheet press conference in early March that the timing was somewhat uncertain here. Because there are several cases that could form the basis for going to the Supreme Court – “and each of these cases works through the lower appeal courts”. Among Anderson, Bayer had intensified lobbying in the United States to initiate changes in the law./Nau/MIS/DP/MIS
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